direct mandate

If a party wins a direct mandate in the National Council election, it will be considered in the second (regional lists) and third (federal lists) calculation procedures regardless of the nationwide votes it receives. Thus, it is not necessary for a party to overcome the 4% threshold, which is typically required to enter the National Council if they have won a direct mandate. Therefore, a direct mandate can be significant.

Since the introduction of this regulation with the NRWO (Nationalratswahlordnung) in 1992, no party that failed to overcome the 4% threshold has managed to enter the National Council through a direct mandate. Conversely, parties have entered the National Council by surpassing the threshold without obtaining a direct mandate.